Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Palghar man arrested with counterfeit notes worth Rs 98 lakh
In a place called Palghar, in Maharashtra, India, police caught a man who had a lot of fake money.
Fake money is money that is not real and cannot be used to buy things.
The police got a secret tip that the man was coming to a spot called Shirsad Phata to swap fake notes for real money.
So they hid nearby on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway and waited for him.
When the man arrived, police stopped him and found lots of fake 500-rupee notes.
News reports do not agree on exactly how many notes he had—one says about 3,582 notes, another says about 19,582.
The man's name is Pradeep Atmaram Patil, and he is 51 years old.
Police took the fake money and his vehicle, then arrested him.
They are now checking whether a bigger group of criminals was helping him.
Police in Palghar district, Maharashtra, arrested Pradeep Atmaram Patil, 51, for possessing fake Indian currency notes.
Reports conflict on the seizure: one says 19,582 counterfeit Rs 500 notes worth Rs 97.91 lakh were recovered, while another says 3,582 notes worth Rs 17,91,000.
The arrests happened after a tip-off led officers to trap the suspect at Shirsad Phata on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway.
Crime Branch Unit-2 (Vasai) of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police carried out the operation on Monday.
The fake currency and the suspect's vehicle were confiscated, and a case was registered at Mandvi police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
- Who
- Pradeep Atmaram Patil, 51, a resident of Palghar, arrested by MBVV Police crime branch officers; Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Doiphode announced the arrest.
- What
- Seizure of fake Indian currency notes and the arrest of a suspect; reports differ on the count and face value (19,582 notes worth Rs 97.91 lakh vs 3,582 notes worth Rs 17,91,000).
- When
- The operation was conducted on Monday and announced at a press conference on Tuesday.
- Where
- Shirsad Phata/Shirsad village on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway in Palghar district, Maharashtra.
- Why
- Patil arrived to exchange the fake currency for genuine notes after officers received a tip-off during routine patrolling.
- Face value of seized notes
- Nearly Rs 98 lakh per one report; nearly Rs 18 lakh (Rs 17,91,000) per another
- Counterfeit notes recovered
- 19,582 notes in one report; 3,582 notes in another, all of Rs 500 denomination
- Arrested person
- Pradeep Atmaram Patil, 51, from Palghar
- Place of arrest
- Shirsad Phata, Shirsad village, Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, Palghar district
- Conducting unit
- Crime Branch Unit-2 (Vasai), Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police
- Case registered at
- Mandvi police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)
- Confiscated items
- Fake currency and the suspect's vehicle
- Investigation status
- Probe underway to check if an interstate or international syndicate is involved
